ELMONT, N.Y. — The masses of people who swept into Belmont Park Saturday on a beautiful, sunny June afternoon hoped that they might witness history.

Twelve times since 1978, Belmont crowds had hoped they would see a Triple Crown winner in the Belmont Stakes. And 12 times they left with their hopes dashed, as well as the hopes and dreams of trainers, owners and jockeys.

Real Quiet lost by a nose. Charismatic pulled up lame. War Emblem stumbled out of the gate. Others were beaten by fresher horses that didn't run in the Preakness.

Saturday, 90,000 horse racing fans — women wearing frothy hats, men in bow ties and shorts — crushed into Belmont Park to watch the latest contender, American Pharoah, try to do something no thoroughbred had done in 37 years.

And amazingly, he did it.

American Pharoah, the bay 3-year-old colt with the misspelled name who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, took the lead early in the 1 1/2-mile race and held on, surging down the stretch and past the finish line in 2:26.65 to become the 12th Triple Crown winner in history.

Affirmed was the last horse to win the Triple Crown, in 1978, back when Jimmy Carter was president and Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta were starring in "Grease."

Saturday, the crowd's huge roar — silenced for so long —reverberated through the old grandstands as Victor Espinoza rode American Pharoah into history.

"It was an illusion," the Tribune's Neil Milbert wrote that June day in 1978. "(Jockey...

"I could tell at the eighth pole, it was going to happen," said American Pharoah's trainer, Bob Baffert, 62, who won the Triple Crown in his fourth attempt.

"All I did was just take in the crowd. The crowd was thundering and I was enjoying the call and the crowd, the noise, and everything happening … 37 years … that horse, he deserved it. He's a great horse."

It was Espinoza's third shot at racing's most elusive trophy.

"Wow, wow, I can only tell you," Espinoza told NBC after the race. "It's unbelievable how things work out.

"[I knew we would win] in the first turn. He broke a little step slowly, but in two jumps, I was just right on the lead. That's right where I want to be, a length in front of everybody and just steady, steady all the way around. I tell you, I had the best feeling ever when he crossed the first turn."

Espinoza finished fourth aboard California Chrome last year. In 2002, he rode War Emblem, who stumbled coming out of the gate and finished eighth.

Frosted, who tried to make a late surge, finished 5 1/2 lengths back in second Saturday, and Keen Ice, who is part owned by Ralph Durante and John Buckley of North Haven, finished third.

"If we weren't going to win, I wanted American Pharoah to win," Buckley said. "It's great for the sport.

"It's great to be part of a Triple Crown. We've waited 37 years. One guy texted me and said, 'Now you're part of a trivia question: Who ran third when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown?'"

The eight-horse field was the smallest since 2007 but featured several horses who hadn't run the Preakness and were relatively fresh.

American Pharoah buried them all from the start.

"I was here in town and listening to every news station and they were saying, 'It never happens and everybody gets up for it,'" Baffert said. "But there's something about this horse. He just brought it every time."

Baffert was confident Saturday, and so was the horse's owner, Ahmed Zayat. He told his wife while they were watching American Pharoah in the post parade, "Get ready to be the owner of the 12th Triple Crown winner."

Baffert's daughter Savannah was 4 years old when his horse Real Quiet lost his bid for the Triple Crown in 1998 by a nose. Saturday, his 10-year-old son Bode got a chance to witness history. And Bode came to the press conference, too.

"My family was here and they got to enjoy it," Baffert said. "The moment, they'll never forget this."

Then he asked his son, "What was the best part of the three races?"

"Winning them," Bode said simply.

"The 37-year wait is over!" track announcer Larry Collmus screamed as American Pharaoh crossed the finish line with Espinoza exulting high in the stirrups. "American Pharoah is finally the one! American Pharoah has won the Triple Crown!"